Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-02-02

| the church put to our lips the wine of earth
ly celebration, and the cupbearers of heaven
| bring up out Of the vaults of eternity the
oldest wine, prepared by Him who tred the
wine-press alone, and SO let two worlds al
once keep jubilee!
Who are these who come to us today
Many are young. Until Robert Rake
came there was no organized effort for sav
'ng the young. We spent all of eu,
strength trying to bend old trees, when .
little pressure would have been sufficient
for the sapling. We let men 60 down t.
the very bottom of sin before we try to lif
them up. 1t is great deal easier to keep
train on the track than to get it on when
it is off. The experienced reinsman checks
The fiery steed at the frst jump, for when
he gets full swing the swift hoefs clicking
ire from the pavement, and the bit between
his teeth, his momentum is irresistible. Il
IS said that the young must be allowed to
those who SOW their wild oats seldom try to
raise any other kind of crop.
l went through the heaviest snow storm I
have ever known to see d. ing girl. HeI
cheek on the pillow was white as the snow
IN the easement. Her large, round ey e ha6
not lost any of its lustre. Loved ones stood
all around the bed trying to hold her back.
Her mother could not give her up; her
father could not give her up, and one neare,
to her than either father or mother was
frantic with grief. said: sFanny, how do
you feel?" 10" she says, ''happy, happy,
Mr.. Talmage; tell all the young folks tina.
religion will make them happy" As came
sut of the room, louder than all The sobs
and wailiugs of grief. I heard the clear,
sweet, glad voice of the dying girl: "Geod
night; we shall meet again on the other
side of the river" The next Sabbath we
buried her. We brought white flowers and
laid them on the coffin. There was in all
that crowded church but one really happy
and delighted face, and that was the face of
Fanny. o! wish that to-day my Lord Je-
sus would go through this audience and
take all these flowers of youth and garland
them on His brow.
But while great foek this day comes to
the dove-cot of mercy, the largest flock is
going the other way 1t is a verv easy thing
to tame doves. Go out with handful of
corn to feed pigeons, and they will fly Oh
your shoulders and youl hands, SO tame are
they. God has fed hose who are before me
with ''the finest of the wheat" aud yet you
have flown from Him all your lives long.
You have taken yonr clothes out of his
wardrobe and your bread out of His hands.
Gods Spirit will not always strive. In the
morning, after a severe night, you have
gone out and seen the birds dead on the
snow; so, after awhile, G IDS mercy will
cease, and the earth will be covered with the
bodies of those who perished in the storm.
That storm is coming. 1t will shiver the
mast of pride-it will drive into the white
reefs of death every cargo ofsin. The cedar
of the mountain will split in the hurricane,
and the islands shall b. moved out of their
places, and the continents shall be rent
asunder, aad the hemispheres shall whirl
like top in the fury of that day. The
mountains will be blasted, and the beasts,
in alright, be pitched from the cliffs in an
avalanche of terror. The dead shall rush
forth from their sepulchres to see what is
the matter, and all those who despise God
shall horribly perish.
Now, do you suppose that l can stand
here and know that that day is coming
without telling you about it? My last rest
ing-piace will probably be near yours.
What if, when get up in the resurrection
day, should see you rushing at me across
the lots of the cemetery and hear you cry.
''Why did You not tell me of this? If it had
not been for your neglect should have been
on the way to glory" I cannot prepare
myself for such CONSERVATION.
''Can you tell me how far it is to Hell?"
said young man as, on Sunday. OIL horse
back, he dashed past good Christian dea-
con. At the next turn in the road the horse
threw the scoffing rider and he was dead.
He wanted to know how far it was to He'll,
aad found out without the deacen's telling
him.
So thou art mounted on a swift steed,
whose hoofs strike fire from the pavement
as he dashes past, and you cry ont: "How
far is it to ruin?" answer: s'Near-very
nearP'
Perhaps this very day
Thy last accepted time may be;
Oh! shouid'st thou grieve Him now away,
Then hope may never beam on thee"
Oh that my Lord God would bring you now
to see your sin and to fly from it; and your
duty. and help yen to do it, so that when
the last great terror of earth shall spread its
two black wings aud clutch with its bloody
talons for thy soul, it cannot hurt thse, for
that thou art safe In the warm dove. cot of
a Savior's mercy!
Come in! come in!